High Rate of Tick-Borne Disease Measured in Centre County

As spring arrives and folks look to enjoy the outdoors, tick season is also in full swing and local hikers, anglers and boaters should beware.

Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection this month reported extremely high rates of deer tick virus at Fisherman’s Paradise, a spot known for its high concentration of wild brown trout and nearby beautiful hiking trails. On the east bank of Spring Creek near Bellefonte, more than 80% of ticks carried the virus.

The DEP’s Tick Surveillance and Testing Program examined 50 samples at the Iroquois Trail in Wyoming County, in addition to Fisherman’s Paradise and Lawrence Township Recreational Park in Clearfield County. In each more than 80% carried DTV. Just 0.6% of ticks sampled outside of these three hotspots were infected with DTV.

The highest reported rate in scientific literature was 25%, and formerly, the highest rate in a single location in Pennsylvania was 11%.

“Anglers and boaters should take note of this warning as they make plans for the start of trout season and other adventures on the water this spring,” Tim Schaeffer, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission executive director,” said in a statement. “Just as we urge boaters to always wear a life jacket, you can further protect yourself by wearing tick repellant clothing or keeping a bottle of tick repellant spray in your tackle box.”

Since 2018, DEP has conducted routine testing as part of its five-year tick surveillance program. DTV was detected in 15 of the 67 counties in the state.

DTV is different than Lyme disease, a more well-known tick-borne disease which is also present around the commonwealth. DTV is a Powassan virus, and it can be transmitted from tick to human just 15 minutes after a bite. Symptoms can range from none to fever, headache, vomiting, and weakness. The infection is rare and can go undetected, but more than 90% of patients treated for DTV develop neuroinvasive diseases.

To best prepare yourself for tick season, to apply permethrin-containing tick repellents and EPA-registered insect repellents, conduct full-body tick checks, check pets, tuck your clothing, and walk in the centers of trails. More suggestions on how to prepare for tick season can be found here.